The Influence of Technology on Nursery Children
Many parents observe that their kids at the children’s nursery in Dubai have developed a liking to play with Smart phones, laptops and tablets. As adults we too love all sorts of technologies, but when it comes to our children, we do worry about the effect of too much technology on them. According to a study the total average screen time for a child between the ages of 1 to 8 is just under two hours a day. Traditional screen time in front of a TV is still the preferred form of screen time, as a family. There are many concerns that parents have when it comes to preschoolers having so much of screen time. The average screen time for a preschooler is 1 -2 hours per day and these limits are recommended for many reasons, says a kids nursery teacher. This is mainly because, Sedentary activities like watching TV or playing with smart phone apps limit children’s time to be physically active and get the exercise they need each day, which is important for their growing bodies. Unscreened media content may expose children to violence, unhealthy eating habits, damaging advertisements and indecent content. Children at nurseries benefit and learn from playtime through their interactions with other children, where they learn many skills that are crucial to their development. When children opt for technology instead of play time interactions with other children, technology leads them to a solitary experience and limiting their exposure for social development. Excessive screen time for children has been linked to irregular sleep, behavioral problems and academic delays. Having said this, not all technology experiences are equal. Non-interactive or passive technology like television, movie viewing or streaming media do not provide an opportunity for children to learn which is an important factor in childhood education. In contrast, interactive media like eBooks, searching on the internet about facts and problem solving, experimenting with education apps for kids has a greater potential than passive experiences. Parents should take the child's age, developmental level and individual characteristics into account when they consider the development appropriateness of technology for their child. Both, teachers and parents should decide on what sort of educational technology might be useful to a child's development. For instance, if you know your preschooler likes to read, look for software or apps that allow your child to be a media creator rather than just a game player. Look for technology that encourages creativity, exploration, pretend play, peer interactions and more. The parent must evaluate the recommendations and figure out what is best for the child. For instance, having a bored child around while you try to finish off an assignment, will only result in losing patience with the child's constant complaints of being bored, then maybe a DVD movie at that time will be a good alternative. You are not going to be classed as a bad parent if you occasionally exceed the suggested daily limits. Here are a few thoughts to consider when establishing screen time for children, Establish a screen time schedule for the family. There should be less screen time during the week and relax a little on weekends. To manage children and technology, parents should practice it too. Spend quality time together, young children may not act like they are not interested, but what children really want is attention. Keep TVs and computers out of children's bedrooms.